An Egyptian-American engineer and blogger detained last week in Syria on charges of spying for Israel was released on Friday, his relatives said.
Mohamed Radwan, a blogger who contributed to Al-Masry Al-Youm in 2009, was arrested by Syrian authorities on 27 March on charges of sending photos to a Colombian via email for around US$20 per photo.
Syrian state-run television broadcast a televised "confession" for Radwan, who works in Syria, saying he confessed to accepting offers of money from abroad for photos and videos of Syria. He allegedly said he visited Israel via Jordan, went to Jerusalem and then back to Syria.
Radwan’s cousin Tarek Shalaby said that Radwan was released on Friday and was taken to the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus.
Radwan participated in and helped publicize the protests of Egypt's 25 January Revolution, which toppled former President Hosni Mubarak on 11 February.
Protests have also swept Syria in recent weeks, leading to clashes with security police amid a media blackout imposed by authorities.
